The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-04-13

at praper in the temple, with the same
purpose at heart.
"The funeral ceremonies are exceed.
ingly odd. Cremation is very common
in Japan. Probably half of the people
who die are burned. Iattended the rites
upon the body of one of my students. Al
the grave the casket, or rather box, was
placed upon two frame horses. His COM
panion students stood about in digni-
fed way, manifesting, however, no indi.
cations of grief. There they remained
smoking cigarettes while one made a
prayer of fifteen minutes duration.
The prayer in itself was peculiar.
Though l was partially familiar with
the language l could not make out a
q single word. 1t sounded like the
ceaseless buzzing of humble bee.
When the boy was lowered into the
grave each student poked a bit of dirt
into the grave with his cane or um-
brella. You never see a neglected
grave in Japan. The anniversary OF
the demise is always observed by rela-
tives, who decorate the graves Graves
of poets who have been dead five hun.
dred years are carefully looked after.
"In public many conventional feat
ures are observed. Of course every
body sits on mats. These mats, three
by six feet square, fit into the floor like
dominos in box. At public lecture
you can sit where you please, but the
reversed seat or stall system is in vogue
with the theaters, The theaters are
big, oblong, square structures, with
two aisles running from the
stage to the front of the house. These
aisles are on level with the stage,
while the floor is eighteen inches below
the aisles, and is divided into innumer-
able bins, nicely partitioned off The
playgoer walks along one of the aisles
until he comes to his reserved bin.
Then he walks the partition rail and
so reaches the apartment, The play
lasts from 6 a. III. to 10 p. NJ, as a
rule. The patron fetches his food with
him and eats, smokes and drinks tea
throughout the performance. There is
a revolving stage upon the stage
proper, and the scenic effects are all
real. While one act is going on the
carpenters are at work upon the back
of the revolving stage preparing the
effects for the next act. The larger
theaters are lighted by gas, but are
not heated. Between the acts the
children rush up the aisles and behind
the curtain to see the carpenters at
work.
1.-THE actors are held in high esteem
are almost, in fact, worshiped.
Their pictures are sold upon the streets
| and their names are household words.
They have many of the stage
mannerisms that are seen behind
the footlights in this coun-
try. Women do not act, A youth of
eighteen may be seen in one act as a
grooming old woman, in another as a
valiant warrior, and later as coy
maiden. The stage is not lighted and
boys dressed entirely in black rush
about holding candles on bamboo poles
right in the faces of the actors in order
that the facial expression may be
studied. Boys, too, carry crickets, and
it is their duty to place them for the
warrior as he sits down. When any
one is killed in the play a boy screens
the body with shroud, and the actor
crawls off the stage ON his hands and
knees. The conceit is ridiculous, for
the moving head and feet of the dead
man are visible from each end of the
shroud. When a night effectis desired
black box with transparent crescent
moon is let down from the flies. The
orchestra is composed of human voices
that follow the varying fortunes of the
play with suitable groans, shouts or
cooings.
1.-The music of Japan is incompre-
hensible until you have given it care
full study. They have no war song,
home songs Or love songs. The priests
sing and chant, but the people employ
it done by professional vocalists. 1t
is so with dancing. If gentleman
gives dinner dancing girl is
brought in and gives an exhibition.
They are capital entertainers, and
dress beautifully. Fans and musical
instruments are used in their perform
ances. Some of these women are re-
nowned for their wit and conversa-
tional attachments. While some of the
japanese acknowledge the superiority
of our educational systems, they con-
tend that their music is superior to our
own, Some of us Americans sang
them a number of patriotic songs.
When the words were interpreted to
them the deprecatedthe custom of con-
Meeting war with music.
1.-The child of Japan is free thing.
His parents use every means to famil-
iarize him with life. / have seen a
child asleep in the office of a big silk
house in the busiest portion of the day.
He lay amidst the busy book-keep-
ers, but each was careful not to disturb
the little one."
Always be placid. A physician
says there is nothing like care or wor-
riment to pillow burrows in the FORE
head, and these are badly marring the
faces of our American women. We
pass in the streets women of thirty-five